Lebanon is vulnerable to earthquakes due to an active plate boundary running along more than 1,200 km from Aqaba in the south to Antakia in Turkey in the north. A second major fault line running offshore from Lebanon’s coast poses an associated threat of tsunamis.

Should a major earthquake occur (over Richter 7), it would most directly affect the population of Lebanon’s coastline, comprising over 1 million people and more than 80 per cent of the national economy.

Twenty-three minor earthquakes occurred in various areas throughout Lebanon since early January 2012. The complexi-ty of a potential response is compounded by the current turmoil in Syria and movements across the border with Leba-non.